Ali McCormack and Adam Bussell first met while working together at the same West Hollywood hotel, though sparks didn’t fly until after she put in her two-week notice and a casual night out turned into forever. “That night [we] really hit it off, and have been going out for drinks ever since,” the bride remembers. Four years later, Adam proposed to his sweetheart while celebrating her 30th birthday in Capri, Italy. “Our proposal was magical,” muses the bride.

As a nod to their story, the duo decided to wed at the same hotel in which they first met. “Our life and our love story are in Los Angeles,” Ali tells. “We wanted our families, who both live out of state, to get a glimpse into our lives [and] we wanted people to feel really pampered and just have an awesome weekend in LA.” After the lovebirds exchanged vows beneath a sophisticated floral arch, all 160 friends and loved ones indulged in an elaborate pre-reception soirée in the Vivienne Westwood Suite. “[We] opted to have a 90-minute cocktail hour with abundant food stations, oyster shuckers, and a top-shelf bar,” she explains. “[We] wanted a food-heavy cocktail hour so the guests could focus on dancing and enjoying the reception.”

The hotel ballroom was adorned with lavish blooms and candlelight for the reception. “[I] wanted it to feel glamorous with an Old Hollywood feel – elegant, yet not over-the-top,” the bride shares. In an effort to execute this desired ambience, the couple pursued a color palette of white, pink and gold hues, as seen in the charming floral backdrop. “I am also a big flower person,” Ali tells. “I have always felt that flowers were one of the most important aspects of any event [and] my florist did not disappoint!” The reception also featured a unique tradition to honor the bride’s family. “At every wedding in my family since the early 1980s, we request the band or DJ to play ‘Rock Lobster’ by The B-52’s. Everyone ties a napkin around their head and we do this insanely fun dance, where at the end everyone melts to the floor, including the bride.”

While some couples find wedding planning to be stressful, Ali affirms the opposite. “I loved planning our wedding so much,” she confides. “It was the best time of my life.”